Monthly Archives: April 2018

In 1842, knowledge of the origin and identity of imported crude drugs was limited. Drug adulteration was a problem recognised by the Pharmaceutical Society, much as it still is today.

To build public trust in pharmacists the Society decided that would-be members should be able to identify crude drugs, detect adulteration and know a drug’s botanical and geographical sources. This is how materia medica came to be included as a subject for study at the Society’s newly opened School of Pharmacy. Read more Drugs according to Daniel Hanbury ›

by Rob Davies MRPharmS MFRPSII, a pharmacist independent prescriber in the BCUHB managed practice at Healthy Prestatyn / Rhuddlan Iach, and Member of the Welsh Pharmacy Board

I work in the BCUHB-run primary care service of ‘Healthy Prestatyn / Rhuddlan Iach’, an innovative multi-disciplinary primary care service. The medicines team includes five pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and prescription clerks. Each pharmacist is in a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) caring for over 4,000 patients with GPs, advanced nurse practitioners, practice nurses, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist and a key team coordinator.

My role includes independent prescribing, patient telephone consultations / medications reviews, liaison with community and hospital pharmacists about our mutual patients, and education of pre-registration pharmacists and medical students, and others all within the context of the MDT.

Ahead of the 2018 FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Glasgow, Scotland, Harriet Pike speaks to educators who are transforming the way pharmacists learn.

In the classrooms of The University of Sydney, Australia, students from a broad range of health disciplines are working together to solve complex, authentic, clinical cases. Medical trainees collaborate with diagnostic radiography students, who in turn discuss a patient’s drug history with pharmacy students, among others, each relying on the unique knowledge and skills of their peers.

Interprofessional education, while logistically difficult to organise, is an essential component of a health professional’s training, according to Timothy Chen, professor of medication management at the university and an interprofessional education champion. “To get the best outcomes for our patients, healthcare professionals must be able to work effectively in teams,” says Professor Chen, who will share his experiences of this way of learning at the 2018 FIP congress in Glasgow, Scotland. “Transforming outcomes” is the theme of the congress, to be held from 2 to 6 September, which will capture innovations in education that are helping pharmacists practise at the top of their game.

Interprofessional education makes perfect sense: as populations age and health interventions become increasingly complex, teams of specialists will be needed to affect the best outcomes for patients. And while pharmacists are already working in multidisciplinary environments, team work can be complex and complicated and does not necessarily come naturally.

The NHS and local councils came together in 2016 to form 44 Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STPs) with a vision to improve health and care for local people across whole areas rather than individual organisations. Following on from the Vanguard programme, the NHS announced 10 Integrated Care Systems (ICS) that have been given greater operational and financial autonomy to manage their services. Read more Working at system level on care homes ›

About the RPS blog

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society is the dedicated professional body for pharmacists and pharmacy in England, Scotland and Wales.

Our blogs are written by experts and provide thought provoking information and commentary on health, health policy issues and lifestyle choices. Here you will find opinions and comments on topics related to public health and medicine safety.

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